Shallows
by STIXandMANNY
Summary: It was a sweltering Asgardian summers day and young Thor and his friends wanted nothing more than a swim in the cool waters of the lake. Unfortunately his little brother was with them and he was not to go near water without mother, but nothing could go wrong if they just stay in the shallows, right?


Thor lifted an arm to wipe the sweat from his brow, before swiftly bringing his wooden sword up to defend a well aimed blow from Sif. He and his friends were practicing in the training grounds, the summer sun blaring down from high above them and radiating heat off of the spacious dirt arena. Sif let out a yell as she brought her practice blade down on the thunderer once more, dodging a strong strike from Thor as she swung her leg around, bringing him down.

Thor let out a grunt as his back hit the ground, the tip of Sif's Wooden sword aimed for his chest. "Better, though you're putting too much force behind your blows, knocking your stance off-balance." She grinned, sweeping her sweat drenched fringe out of her eyes. "So, who's next?" She called over to the three boys training nearby. Volstagg stood to the side watching as Hogun, obviously the victor, helped Fandral back to him feet.

"It is too hot for this." Fandral whined slumping as he dragged himself over to them. It was indeed a very hot day, the warmest it had been all summer.

"I agree." Volstagg announced, "let's get something to drink, and eat." He added giving his round belly a pat. Hogun simply shook his head at this, it had only been two hours since their midday meal.

"We should go swimming." Fandral suggested.

"Sounds like a plan." Sif stated, Hogun and Volstagg nodding their agreement.

"Aye, we can play cavalry fight." Thor smiled as they all put their practice weapons back on the rack. His excitement dropping as he spotted the dark haired boy by the side of the training arena. It would seem Loki had grown bored of imitating the older kids attacks with the stick he had picked up along the way and now sat under the shade of a nearby tree using the stick to sketch in the dirt.

"I can't. I forgot, Loki is with us." The blonde prince sighed looking over towards his little brother. "Mother says he is too small to go near the lake without her being with him and she and father are in meeting with the council."

"Can't you just send him back to the palace." Sif suggested, the idea of going for a swim was so tempting in this heat.

"Then we can head for the lake." Fandral beamed.

Thor nodded. "I shall try." He said making his way over to Loki.

"I'm thirsty." Loki complained as soon as Thor reached him, pointing to Thor's waterskin.

"How about you head back to the palace, brother, the servants can make you a nice cool drink." Thor smiled.

"I want your drink." Loki pouted, pointedly pointing out the older boys waterskin once more.

"Loki, me and my friends are going to play grown up games, you'll just get bored anyway. So why don't you go back to the palace." He tried again.

"No!" Loki insisted, looking up at his brother with defiant green eyes. "I don't wanna." The five year old huffed. "I'ma stay with you."

"Loki." Thor sighed, giving in and handing his brother the waterskin. He walked back the couple of meters to were his friends waited. "He will not return on his own." The group let out a groan at hearing this.

"Surely the queen won't mind us taking Loki to the lake if we stay in the shallows." Fandral said.

"We will all be there and can keep an eye on him." Volstagg agreed. "We will be with him the entire time."

Thor glanced back at his brother who was trying to put the cork back in the waterskin spilling most of the water as he held it almost sideways in his efforts, as he thought it over. He was already ten, Sif twelve, Fandral was thirteen and Volstagg and Hogun were fifteen or close enough too. Add them together and they practically had the age of two adults, besides they would be right there with him sitting in the shallows what could go wrong.

"Very well." Thor agreed, calling over his brother.

"You are done training?" Loki asked as he peered up at his brother, holding up the waterskin for Thor to take.

"Aye." Thor nodded, taking the offered waterskin and reattaching it to his belt. "We are going to the lake."

"We can pick some flowers for mother." The young boy cheered, taking hold of Thor's hand and pulling it towards the direction of the lake in his excitement. They all started towards the lake, only making it several meters before Loki stopped, his little nose scrunching up in thought. "Mother said not to go near the lake with out her." He whispered chewing his lip with worry. What if they got in trouble?

"We will all stay in the shallows, mother won't mind." Thor assured his little brother. Perhaps Thor could prove to his mother that he was finally old enough to go to the lake without her supervision.

"Promise?" Loki asked.

"Promise." Thor smiled back, giving Loki a gentle push to start him moving again.

"Come on you two hurry up. I would rather get there before I melt into a puddle." Fandral joked as he and the others continued on ahead.

Excitement flooded over the group as soon as the crystal waters of the lake came into view. Everyone picking up pace as they reached the bank, stripping away layers of clothing as they went. The boys stripping down to their pants whilst Sif left on her simple sleeveless under tunic and shorts and heading into the refreshing water. Thor threw off his boots and tunic before helping Loki unlace his boots, as the small boy worked on unbuckling his tunic.

Once Loki's final boot was removed Thor grabbed his hand and the two of the hurried over to where his friends were splashing about. "It's okay brother, the water is shallow here." The thunderer said reassuringly as his brother paused by the water's edge nervously eyeing the liquid his brother and his friends stood in.

Loki always got nervous around pools of water, Thor thought it strange as he and his friends loved playing in the water on hot summer days. His mother had reassured him that it was only natural for Loki to be nervous as he could not yet swim.

"Look, the water does not even reach my knees, and I will be right here with you." He assured with a big warm smile, as Loki cautiously stepped into the water, wadding out a little deeper to join with Sif, Volstagg, Hogun and Fandral. They formed something of a semi circle Loki sitting where the water was shallowest while the older members sat in water a little deeper.

It wasn't long before the friends minds were once again on training, pointing out flaws and areas that needed work in each others moves. Loki was sifting through the small smooth stones that littered the lake bed, having no interest in the conversation going on around him, picking them from the water and inspecting them before dropping those not to his liking back into the water.

He had to find a really pretty one, he always found his mother a pretty smooth stone every time she took them to the lake. After finding a nice rock with a pinky swirl of colour in it, which he put in his pocket so as not to lose it, he turned to his big brother pulling him on his arm to get his attention.

"Thor, I'm bored." Loki whined, looking up at his brother with a pout. This wasn't very fun any more, when he came to the lake with mother she would sit by the edge and tell him stories or point out different plants and wildlife while Thor and his friends played games he wasn't old enough to play yet. This time though he was stuck by himself as his brother and his friends spoke of techniques and stances and other thing he didn't understand.

Thor hummed in thought as he scanned their surrounds, his eyes lighting up as an idea came to him. "How about we make ships."

"Make ships? Isn't that a bit childish." Sif scoffed.

"We could have a naval battle." Thor suggested.

"Brilliant, what do I get when I win?" Fandral announced confidently, as if he had already claimed victory.

"How about if you win I don't drown you." Sif rolled her eyes, swinging her arm around to slash water in his face.

It wasn't long before the friends were scavenging around the lakeside to hunt for useful bits and pieces to build their mighty ships with. Crafting little boats out of various pieces of bark, stick and leaves. After a few failed attempts on both Thor and Fandral's side, they all had boats that stayed afloat.

After a few rules were set, only small pebbles were to be used as ammo, must stay at least one yard from the little bark boats at all times and no joining forces and grouping up to toss stones at the one boat. They all held a hand full of small stones ready to try to sink each other's ships, eager to get started.

"Ready." Volstagg announced, reading a pebble between his thumb and forefinger. "Commence battle!"

They all laughed, goading each other as pebbles rained down upon the ships, rocking the mini ships about and making small waves in the once calm water.

Loki was quite enjoying this game up until a well aimed rock sent his boat tilting precariously to one side, threatening to sink it. The small boy made a high pitch sound in the back of his throat as he rushed forwards wrapping his hands protectively around his leaf and twig longboat. He liked the game but he didn't want the precious little boat he built to sink, he wanted to be able to show it to mother when they returned.

"New rule, Loki's ship is off limits." Thor declared, sparing his little brother a quick smile before turning his concentration back to the battle at hand.

"Naah, horse tails." Volstagg slapped the water as his ship was the first to sink, an accurate shot from Hogun tearing straight through the bark of his raft like boat. "Take Hogun out!" He called, chuckling as Hogun gave him a snort and splashed water in his face.

Loki crawled a little closer to Thor, his boat still safely in hand. "Aim for Sif's sail." He whispered in his brothers ear. Thor gave him a glance before shrugging and doing as he was told. The first two missing before the third hit doing little more than rocking the boat a little then dropping into the little pocket made were the oversized leaf she had used sagged where it was attached to the bottom pole tided to the mast with a long strip of grass.

He tried again only to archive the same result. "This is not working brother." Thor said tossing his next rock at Fandral's ship.

"Try again, brother." Loki spoke quietly, causing Sif to glare accusingly at the brothers shushed words.

Thor shook his head but gave it another shot anyway, hitting it on his second throw, resulting in the same out come as the others had only this time when the little boat rocked it began tilting dangerously, the rocks caught in the sail dragging it down.

"Cheats." Sif huffed crossing her arms in a sulk as her ship flopped on its side and took on water, slowly joining Volstagg's boat at the bottom of the lake.

Thor didn't have long to revel in his victory as his ship was the next to go, leaving Fandral and Hogun to duel it out. The others cheering the two on as they try to take the other out. Hogun's ship had taken a fair bit of heavy damage and everyone was sure he was going to lose, till he managed to land a hit on Fandral's ship, hitting the front of it with such force the whole boat flipped, landing upside down before it sunk to the bottom.

It wasn't long after the boat battle that the warriors four became restless ditching the shallows to play cavalry in the deeper water, Sif and Fandral wrestled from atop Hogun and Volstagg's shoulders, while Thor watched from the shallows by his bother's side. Had Loki not been with them he'd be out joining his friends, instead he could only watch.

"Make a new boat?" Loki asked, looking up at his brother as his boat floated around in front of him.

"I don't feel like playing boats any more." Thor shook his head, honestly he was beginning to get bored.

"We can battle the sea monster." Loki suggested.

Thor sighed, how was he supposed to say no when his baby brother looked up at him with such big, hope filled, emerald eyes. "Okay, we'll set out on the same ship." He smiled back.

He had really tried to get into the imaginary battle he and his brother were fighting, he really did, but his friends shouts and laughter kept distracting him. He tried to focus on chopping off the large tentacle that had wrapped itself around the mast, but Sif's scream as she toppled into the water had him looking over to the group further out.

"Thoor." Loki whined as his brother got distracted once again. It wasn't fun fighting monsters when Thor kept not paying attention.

"Sorry, brother." Thor apologised, looking back at Loki once more. "I'll be back in a minute, I'm going to tell the others to come back to the shallows." He said, as he stood being careful not to rock Loki's tiny leaf boat as he started for his friends. If he had to suffer in the shallows then they could too.

Loki continued to take down the sea monster with out Thor, he didn't need his brother to slay a monster, after his victory had been celebrated back in town, Loki tired of the game it wasn't as fun if he played alone. He huffed as he looked over to Thor and his friends playing out deeper.

He carefully placed his boat on the banks so it wouldn't get lost or damaged and moved back to the water, it was kind of scarier with out his brother, he wanted to go sit under the big willow tree a little further down the lakes edge, but he knew the water was shallow here and he could stand or sit in it, but he didn't know how deep it was over there and Thor wasn't here to test it for him.

With a disappointed huff he sat back in the water, hugging his knees to his chest as he watched Thor and the others. He was bored, Thor said he was going to call them back so why hadn't he returned yet. He wanted to go home now, but mother had told him he wasn't to leave without telling his brother where he was going when they were outside playing.

"Thor!" Loki tried to call for his brother's attention, but he didn't seem to hear over all the noise he and his friends were making. "Thor!" Still nothing, perhaps if he moved a little closer to the group they would hear him.

* * *

It had only meant to be one game, one game then he would rejoin his brother but the challenge for a rematch had been too tempting, and before he knew it that had turned into another match, then another.

"Brother did you see that!" Thor called cheerfully over his shoulder as he had knocked Fandral tumbling into the water dragging Volstagg down with him, only to have his heart sink when his brother was not where he'd left him.

"Loki!" He called frantically as he tried to hastily remove himself from Hogun's shoulders, landing face first in the water for his efforts, he stood back up brushing his wet hair out of his face, heartbeat racing as he scanned the shore for any sight of his brother.

"Thor?" Sif looked at him with concern as she came up beside him.

"Where is my brother? I can't find Loki." Thor panicked, they were supposed to have stayed with him, they had promised to stay with him.

"Loki!" He called again, why wasn't he answering Thor's call.

"Perhaps he returned to the palace?" Sif glanced around the quiet woodlands.

"He would not have returned without informing me." Thor shook his head.

"He often wonders around near shore looking for herbs and stuff." Fandral said, as he moved closer to shore.

"Then why is he not answering my calls!" Thor snapped back fearfully, he should never have left his brother's side. "Loki!" He called again in a shaky voice.

"We'll find him." Sif spoke reassuringly as Fandral joined in calling Loki's name.

Volstagg was the one who spotted the shadow in the water to their right, a chill ran down his spine as he noticed it. 'Don't let it be him, Norns don't let it be him.' He chanted in his head as he rushed over to the dark patch unnoticed by the rest.

He dove his hands into the water upon reaching his destination, heart dropping and hands shaking uncontrollably when he lifted the limp form of the youngest prince. He was the eldest of the group, he was supposed to be wiser for it, that's what every one had always said. With age comes wisdom. Well he didn't feel very wise right now, in fact he had no idea what he was to do now, was Loki even breathing?

"T-Thor!" He managed to stutter out once his voice started working again.

Thor turned, and he swore his heart had stopped right there and then, when he saw his tiny brother's unmoving body hanging from Volstagg's arms.

The group rushed to lakes bank as Volstagg lay Loki on the grass, Thor dropped to his knees by his brother's side desperately telling his brother to wake up.

"He is not breathing." Fandral pointed out solemnly, as Hogun made his way over to the young boy shoving Thor aside as he rolled Loki on his side, opening the child's mouth to try to let out any excess water before rolling him onto his back again, placing his hands on Loki's chest and pushing down.

"What are you doing? Leave him alone." A distressed Thor cried as he tried to pull the older boy from his brother.

"Stop it Thor." Hogun grunted back as he continued the chest compressions, Volstagg came to his aid, pulling the prince from Hogun's back. "Back on Vanaheim I once saw someone doing this to a fisherman they pulled from the water." Hogun explained.

Thor ripped himself free of the larger boys grasp the moment the tiny dark haired boy started coughing, Hogun turned Loki on his side as he coughed out the water in his lungs. Sif tried to stop Thor rushing to his brother before the boy could get his breath back, but he managed to slip past her grip.

"I'm sorry brother. I'm so sorry." Thor sobbed as he pulled his shaking brother into a hug, Loki was still coughing and hacking as he tried to breath through his own tears.

"Mamma." Loki rasped between tearful coughs, gripping Thor's arm tightly with trembling hands.

"Mother is not here remember." Thor sniffled, his sobs coming back afresh as his baby brother continued to cry for their mother. This was all his fault, he should never have brought Loki to the lake without mother.

"We should get him to the healers, I've heard that people can stop breathing again afterwards if they still have water in their lungs." Hogun informed the group.

Volstagg leant over to give the terrified prince's head a reassuring pat as the boy let out a frightened whimper, hearing Hogun's words. "Worry not little prince the healers will make you all better."

* * *

Thor stood outside the healing room, ear pressed against the door as he desperately try to hear what was happening, he and his friends had been ordered to wait outside.

"He will be fine, Thor." Sif gave a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

"I think its time for your friends to return home, Thor." Odin's voice suddenly sounded from behind, causing every one to turn. Thor's friends all bowed before quickly heading off, as the King and Queen of Asgard made their way towards them.

"Mother!" Thor cried as he rushed to her burying his face into her skirts. "I'm sorry, I only left him f-for a moment a-and then he... I-I'm so s-sorry."

"Shh child, it's alright." Frigga soothed, leaning down to pull her sobbing son into her arms, rubbing soothing circles on his back as she tried to calm him down.

"Thor." Odin spoke gaining his son's attention as Frigga gently released her grip on him and stepped to the side. Thor sniffled as he looked up at his father, rubbing his teary eyes with the back of his hand.

"I am very disappointed my son. You have been told many times your brother is not to go near water without an adult present." Odin reprimanded.

"I'm sorry father." Thor mumbled, eyes downcast.

"What would have happened if Hogun hadn't got him breathing again or if Volstagg had not found him." Odin continued causing the boys tears to start up again.

"Surely the scare he received is punishment enough." Frigga spoke calmly placing her hand on her husbands shoulder. Sensing a harsh punishment coming, her husband had a tendency to overreact when ever his sons were hurt. He tended to be firmer than need be.

The All-father let out a sigh. "Go to your room, Thor." He ordered, pointing down the hall.

"But-"

"Now!" Odin cut the child off with a stern shout.

"Yes father." Thor sniffled as he turned and headed for his room.

"He just worries for his brother." He heard his mother say as he moved down the hall.

It wasn't fair he just wanted to see Loki but the healers refused to let him in and now he had been sent to his room. He flopped face down onto his mattress before crawling over to his pillows and nestling between them, pulling his knees to his chest and burying his face into them as the image of his friend pulling Loki from the water flashed through his mind.

Thor hadn't even realised he had fallen asleep but he must have at some point, because when he next opened his eyes he found that his room was painted a warm gold by the light of the setting sun.

He was rubbing the sleep from his eyes when there was a knock on the door and moments later his mother stepped into the room, Loki in her arms. His little brother clung to Frigga his face hidden in the crook of her neck.

"How is he?" Thor asked inching forwards towards the edge of the bed.

Frigga smiled as she crossed the room. "Loki will be fine."

Loki begun to stir upon hearing Thor and his mother talking, slowly lifting his head and looking over his shoulder. "Thor!" He he called twisting around and reaching out for his brother.

"Hold on darling." Frigga chuckled as she lent down passing her squirming child into his brother's arms.

Thor wrapped his arms around Loki. "I'm sorry." He whispered.

"You promised." Loki huffed with a pout. "You promised, and you left me."

"I know, Loki. I'm sorry, what can I do to make it up to you?" Thor asked.

Loki hummed in thought as he looked around the room, his eyes lighting up as he turned back to Thor. "Let me wear your cape." He said, pointing to the red cloth hung neatly by the closet. He had wanted to try it on ever since Thor had received it.

"No Loki, it is mine. You'll get one when your older." Thor shook his head. His father had said that a warriors first cape was very important, he was only allowed to wear it on special occasions and always took great care of it. He did not want Loki dragging it all over and getting it dirty or torn.

Loki huffed in reply and looked as thought he was about to protest when their mother spoke up. "Sweetheart, it is for special occasions only, and not to be played with."

The small prince looked disheartened for a moment before turning to his brother with a new idea. "Spend all of tomorrow with me, and do all the things I want to do." He said watching eagerly for Thor's answer.

"Very well." Thor nodded. It would be nice to spend the day playing with Loki, he had not been spending as much time playing children's games with his brother lately. He had started to move on from toys to play fights with Wooden swords with his friends.

"Good." Loki smiled giving his brother a hug.

"Well, I'm glad that is decided." Frigga smiled. "But I had originally come to inform you that it is time for our evening meal." She stood taking Loki's hand as he hoped down beside her.

Thor nodded as he stood from the bed, watching as Loki slipped from his mother's hand and pulled the door open with a grunt, managing to get it open enough for him to get through, with some effort. The doors were quite heavy and Thor's tiny brother had only just grown big enough to open and close them by himself, even if it took the boy a little time and effort.

"Race you!" Loki shouted with a giggle as he slipped through the door and started down the hallway.

"Cheat!" Thor shouted as he bolted out of the room and after his brother.

Frigga just smiled fondly as her boys raced to the dinning hall, their laughter echoing throughout the palace halls.


End file.
